Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
Atheist Penelope
Surgoshan:
--- Quote from: JonSnow on 05 Jan 2009, 15:53 ---it's not wrong to believe in God, Jahwe, Allah, or any other religion. Also it's not wrong to not believe. It's only wrong to not keep an open mind to other peoples believes even if they differ from yours. You need to accept them for who they are.
--- End quote ---
But they're wrong.
wargrafix:
lol, @ the comic excerpt.
Thats the funny thing, I completely ok with her beliefs. In the long run its not like it will matter to me. What was weird was how she reacted. It was from snarky (strangely she a bit like faye) to ultra fundamentalist. I was like "take the chill pill or chill injection in your case.
psycho people are funny.
^_^
jtheory:
--- Quote from: Evander on 05 Jan 2009, 09:20 ---I have noticed quite a few atheists, in my life, who think that some how they are treated different from any other group in the world, as though all other religions get together and hang out, but don't invite the atheists. It just don't work that way.
--- End quote ---
Yeah, like how all the minorities in the US seem to think that white folks get together weekly to scheme about them, right? So silly. Cause discrimination don't work that way.
Discrimination against atheists is quite common, though it will obviously vary based on where you live. I think I posted about this at the beginning of this thread; atheists are still a group that is pretty socially acceptable to denigrate. 53% of Americans say they would refuse to vote for a well-qualified -- but atheist -- Presidential candidate. Compare it to the other figures in the poll.
Also notice that atheism comes with the natural conclusion that religious people are at worst misguided and foolish. Most versions of the major religions come with the natural conclusion that atheists are going to burn for all eternity in Hell and may tempt other good religious people to burn as well. Many religious people don't take that completely seriously, even if they generally believe in the religion... but each time you run into some who do, it's bound to be an upsetting encounter for all involved (see wargrafix' example above). At least that wasn't one of his parents, 'cause that really, really sucks.
--- Quote from: Jackie Blue on 05 Jan 2009, 11:02 ---So, it's logical to conclude, based on what we monkeys have seen on an infinitely small chunk of rock in a vast, possibly infinite Universe, that there is no sort of higher power anywhere, period?
:roll:
--- End quote ---
That's a very misleading definition of atheism. You're not going to bring out that "but you can't disprove God!" stuff, are you?
"Theism", from the British Concise Encyclopaedia (since that's what Google/Answers.com is giving me): "View that all observable phenomena are dependent on but distinct from one supreme being. The view usually entails the idea that God is beyond human comprehension, perfect and self-sustained, but also peculiarly involved in the world and its events. Theists seek support for their view in rational argument and appeals to experience."
Atheists do not hold this belief, because the "rational arguments" seem to all be deeply flawed and a priori, and experience likewise does not seem to offer any support for the theist's God.
I'm certainly open to the idea that there is (or was? or will be?) an alien life form somewhere which has far greater understanding of/control over the universe than we do. That would be a "higher power". There are also "higher powers" already known on Earth, like earthquakes and volcanoes (we're totally at the mercy of plate tectonics... but the plates hear not our pitiful cries). But there's no limit to the forms you can imagine a higher power might take *outside* of a conscious, human-interested, personal, supreme being; you'd have to describe what you're thinking of, then the atheists in the thread could discuss how likely they think it is.
Jackie Blue:
You're open to the concept of God being an alien, but not being, well, God.
...
...
...
:-D
jtheory:
--- Quote from: Jackie Blue on 06 Jan 2009, 12:41 ---You're open to the concept of God being an alien, but not being, well, God.
--- End quote ---
I'm open to "higher powers" out there -- meaning things more powerful or (if sentient) more knowledgeable than humans. Some of the more powerful forces are well-known and generally accepted (like plate tectonics!), and the universe is big & diverse enough that *somewhere* there are probably other life forms evolving like we are... obviously no guarantees at all what they might be like, but some of them may have evolved to have abilities like (or beyond) ours. I don't know anyone who would call either of those examples "God" though (Scientologists excepted).
I'm not "closed" to the idea of the standard theist God; I was instructed in one version for 16 years or so, have thought about the question in depth, have read a lot on the subject, have had endless discussion with various believers and non-believers... and it just doesn't add up at all, so I don't hold that belief.
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